The Workshop Model: Sue’s Story

Hear from a member of our community, Sue Gibbons, about her experience of our residential programme and Postgraduate Certificate.

This is my 9^th year as the Curriculum Leader for Art at Malmesbury School, Wiltshire, which is part of the Athelstan Academy Trust. My school is the most comprehensive school I have ever worked in. The range in my classroom is extraordinary – I have students with Oxbridge ambitions; significant special needs; great wealth; and real disadvantage – all making Art alongside each other. And it is not always obvious who is who. The recent OFSTED inspection in April this year was led by an Art specialist Inspector (HMI) and included a deep dive in Art. The feedback on our Art provision was fantastic and Malmesbury school was rated as Outstanding in every category.

I first spotted Plan Prepare Provide residential on Facebook. I saw the initiative was linked to Leeds University and, as I had completed my first master’s degree there in 2000, I was very interested in finding out more. I dug a bit deeper and found that Anne-Louise Quinton was one of the tutors on the course. I had worked with her when I taught in Bradford and knew what an inspirational artist-teacher she is. Intrigued by this I decided to apply and I was lucky enough to get a place.

I first attended the residential for ‘Plan Prepare Provide’ (PPP) in 2019, the year before the first COVID lockdown in the UK. It was the end of a tough year and I had driven up to Leeds, so I was exhausted but also really excited about the chance to meet other Art teachers. It was quite the whirlwind of a few days – a lot happened! There were lots of talks but plenty of practical workshops too. One exercise saw us doing a ‘Discovery Day’ leading to group presentations. This was quite scary, but it pushed us to collaborate and work together. What stood out to me was the opportunity to look at artwork and archive collections together, share information, discuss ideas and offload.

At the end of the programme we were sent all the PowerPoint presentations that had been delivered. I have been able to pick through this catalogue of reading material many times as it includes a vast number of artists and teaching ideas that I have utilised in my own classroom. That was the best physical takeaway.

It validated what we are doing as Art teachers, pushing us to keep moving forward and to do what we think is important, even if other people do not necessarily support us.

But the key outcome was the boost to my confidence. It validated what we are doing as Art teachers, pushing us to keep moving forward and to do what we think is important, even if other people do not necessarily support us. PPP showed us what we do is valid, it has a purpose and that there are other people who think the same. This was the beginning in a huge shift in the way I felt about my job as an art teacher – the first steps to really enjoying being in the classroom, feeling valued and having the confidence and ambition to really push it.

This boost means that I enter the classroom feeling relentlessly enthusiastic. The students sense this energy and reciprocate. One significant new artist that I introduced is Barbara Walker. I didn’t know much about her before PPP. Once you’ve found a new artist, you find another one, and another one. The possibilities are endless. Rather than simply teaching the same things repeatedly, PPP has spurred my curiosity. By highlighting contemporary artists and alternative concepts, I am now able to sow new ideas and offer fresh concepts. These budding seeds grow, flower and produce more ideas, fertilising the educational playing field as it flourishes. You inspire one teacher, they influence another, then you have a whole department and all their students inspired. It has encouraged me to network much more, to contact local groups and work on funding high impact and ambitious projects within the community.

Art teachers have quite a tough time and the aim of PPP is to inspire these educators. We are always told that Art is less important than other subjects, but this just isn’t true. To fight back against this misconception, you need other Art teachers around you, to support you, and help you build confidence. United, Art teachers have authority in their arguments and can defend their status. PPP creates this amazing network of Art teachers across the country. It helps us enhance our professional development and improve our practices. I found all the tutors so motivating, they are great role models. 

After completing the residential in 2019, I was definitely interested in the PG Cert. But completing the course did not seem realistic at that time, as I live a three-hour drive away from the University. I was then able to attend the PPP programme online in 2020. I found the online programme more accessible as I was able to complete it at home. Being offered this remote option for tutorials, the PG cert felt attainable. I was curious about doing the course, and excited about the fellowship opportunity. Tempted, I applied. I was delighted to be successful.

I was worried about taking on a huge extra workload as I have small children and work is already very busy, but the PG Cert just felt like it was a part of my usual job. Rather than feeling like more work it expanded what I could do within my job and I loved it. I could actively include my own research as part of my job, and it didn’t really feel like extra work, in fact it made my job so much more engaging. My chosen research focus was the power of the workshop, looking at alternative spaces for collaborative work. My first assignment was quite critical about the current educational system and I felt like I was writing out all the frustrations I had been feeling for the last few years. It felt like a bit of a rant but cleared my head and prepared me for the more meaningful research. My second assignment became a big project that underpins what we do in the Art department and has influence across the whole school. It has really invigorated me. I’m excited about my work again. I’m excited about being in the classroom. It has definitely made me braver. I now feel more confident about taking a risk, working with the wildcards and voicing my opinions. I know that I can do things my way and prove it works.

I am probably quite bloody minded now about what I do and what I believe education should be. I would use the words ‘entrepreneurially disobedient’ – I love to break the rules, seeking out ambitious opportunities for my students and I can make them work. Being an Art teacher, I am used to people not understanding what I do and undervaluing it, but actually I know that I am doing amazing things every day with my students in my classroom, and the impact of that is clear. My department knows that it is valued.

I can see that the many small actions made in my Art room are powerful. That fearless beavering action nurtures opportunities for my students. A force that builds, growing steadily but constant, stable, interwoven and persistent. With this optimistic and entrepreneurial approach in my Art department, Art holds its place as the keystone for our thriving school community.

I feel very lucky to have had this opportunity.